Brenda Lee

Born on 11. 12. 1944 in Lithonia - Georgia (USA) as Brenda Mae Tarpley. Brenda Lee took part in singing competitions at the age of six. In 1956 she appeared in the opening act of Red Foley. In the same year - Brenda was just 11 - her first recordings were made in Nashville. And already in 1957 she was on the US charts with her third single, "One Step At A Time'.

By 1970, another 48 hits followed, including the number one hits'I'm Sorry' and'I Want To Be Wanted': Brenda (1.43 meters) big! Lee made his first guest appearance in Europe in 1959 - with Gilbert Becaud at the Paris Olympia. Two years later, it also sounded in German. Five (of six) of these singles were sung in Nashville to pre-produced tapes that James Last had made. The single'In my dreams' -'Darling, what's wrong with you' was produced in Hamburg's Polydor Studios (producer: Bert Kaempfert). Lee entered the German hit parade with'Kansas-City' (1964),'Goodbye is beautiful' and'I always want to wait for you' (all 1964).

During the 70s she concentrated on country material. In 1988 Brenda Lee made a record comeback when she could be heard in good form on the CD "Shadowland' by k. d. lang. Little Miss Dynamite' appeared in London in 1993 as part of several revival performances (including Johnny Tillotson and Chris Montez). Two years later, Lee sang with Willy DeVille on his CD'Loup Garou' the intensely enchanting duet'You'll Never Know'. She had a film gastro role in 1980 in the US production "Smokey And The Bandit Ride Again' ('The crafty rascal is back on the road').

From the Bear Family book - 1000 pinpricks by Bernd Matheja - BFB10025 -